Image forming apparatus 1 that shortens warm-up time is provided. Accordingly, image forming apparatus 1 is an asymmetrical multiprocessing configuration provided with auxiliary memory part 21 shared between main control part 10 and sub control part 11. Use area 300 is an area accessed by main control part 10. Use area 301 is an area accessed by sub control part 11. Use area specifying part 100 specifies for use area 300 and use area specifying part 101 specifies for use area 301, respectively, by use area specifying table 210. Defective area table making part 110 makes defective area table 200 by searching whether or not a defective area only for use area 300 and set as a defective area for the other area. Defective area table making part 111 makes defective area table 201 by searching use area 301, similarly, and set as the defective area for the other area.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image forming apparatus of asymmetrical multiprocessing comprising: a central processing unit (CPU) comprising a main control part and a sub control part; a main memory part that includes a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM); and an auxiliary memory part that includes a NAND flash memory, wherein: the main control part reads a control program stored in the auxiliary memory part, expands the control program to the main memory part, and executes the control program to function as a first use area specifying part and a first defective area table making part; the sub control part reads the control program stored in the auxiliary memory part, expands the control program to the main memory part, and executes the control program to function as a second use area specifying part and a second defective area table making part; the main memory part stores a first defective area table made by the first defective area table making part and a second defective area table made by the second defective area table making part; the first defective area table and the second defective area table each include data for a bad block table that manages a bad block in the auxiliary memory part; the auxiliary memory part includes a first use area and a second use area, and stores a use area specifying table; and the use area specifying table includes data for information of a use area in the auxiliary memory part used by each of the main control part and the sub control part, and wherein: the first use area specifying part specifies the first use area in the auxiliary memory part where a program and data are stored and are accessed by the main control part based on the use area specifying table; the second use area specifying part specifies the second use area in the auxiliary memory part where a program and a data are stored and are accessed by the sub control part based on the use area specifying table; the first defective area table making part makes the first defective area table for the main control part, which is set as a result of, with respect to the auxiliary memory part, only the first use area being searched for whether or not a bad block exists, wherein the search area for the first defective area table making part is specified by the first use area specifying part, and the first defective area table is further set to identify all use area in the auxiliary memory part, other than the first use area, as a bad block; and when a) the second defective area table exists for the sub control part, and when b) a first common use area has already been searched for whether or not a bad block exists, and when c) bad block data corresponding to the first common area is identified in the second defective area table, and when d) the first common use area exists as a use area common to both the first use area used by the main control part and the second use area used by the sub control part, the first defective area table making part reads the bad block data corresponding to the first common use area identified in the second defective area table and adds the read bad block data to the first defective area table used by the main control part; the second defective area table making part makes the second defective area table for the sub control part, which is set as a result of, with respect to the auxiliary memory part, only the second use area being searched for whether or not a bad block exists, wherein the search area for the second defective area table making part is specified by the second use area specifying part, and the first defective area table is further set to identify all use area in the auxiliary memory part, other than the first use area as a bad block; and when a) the first defective area table exists for the main control part, and when b) a second common use area has already been searched for whether or not a bad block exists, and when c) bad block data corresponding to the second common area is identified in the first defective area table, and when d) the second common use area exists as a use area common to both the second use area used by the sub control part and the first use area used by the main control part, the second defective area table making part reads the bad block data corresponding to the second common use area identified in the first defective area table and adds the read bad block data corresponding to the second common use area to the second defective area table used by the sub control part.
2. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control program includes a boot loader and an Operating System (OS).
3. An image forming method executed by an image forming apparatus of asymmetrical multiprocessing having: a central processing unit (CPU) comprising a main control part and a sub control part; a main memory part that includes a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM); and an auxiliary memory part that includes a NAND flash memory, the method comprising: via the main control part, reading a control program stored in the auxiliary memory part, expanding the control program to the main memory part, and executing the control program to function as a first use area specifying part and a first defective area table making part; via the sub control part, reading the control program stored in the auxiliary memory part, expanding the control program to the main memory part, and executing the control program to function as a second use area specifying part and a second defective area table making part; via the main memory part, storing a first defective area table made by the first defective area table making part and a second defective area table made by the second defective area table making part, wherein the first defective area table and the second defective area table each include data for a bad block table that manages a bad block in the auxiliary memory part; via the auxiliary memory part, including a first use area and a second use area, and storing a use area specifying table, wherein the use area specifying table includes data for information of a use area in the auxiliary memory part used by each of the main control part and the sub control part; via the first use area specifying part, specifying the first use area in the auxiliary memory part where a program and data are stored and are accessed by the main control part based on the use area specifying table; via the second use area specifying part, specifying the second use area in the auxiliary memory part where a program and a data are stored and are accessed by the sub control part based on the use area specifying table; via the first defective area table making part, making the first defective area table for the main control part, which is set as a result of, with respect the auxiliary memory part, only the first use area being searched for whether or not a bad block exists, wherein the search area for the first defective area table making part is specified by the first uses area specifying part, and the first defective area table is further set to identify all use area in the auxiliary memory part, other than the first use area, as a bad block; when a) the second defective area table exists for the sub control part, and when b) a first common use area has already been searched for whether or not a bad block exists, and when c) bad block data corresponding to the first common area is identified in the second defective area table, and when d) the first common use area exists as a use area common to both the first use area used by the main control part and the second use area used by the sub control part, via the first defective area table making part, reading the bad block data corresponding to the first common use area identified in the second defective area and adding the read bad block data to the first defective area table used the main control part; and via the second defective area table making part, making the second defective area table for the sub control part, which is set as a result of, with respect to the auxiliary memory part, only the second use area being searched for whether or not a bad block exists, wherein the search area for the second defective area table making part is specified by the second use area specifying part, and the first defective area table is further set to identify all use area in the auxiliary memory part, other than the first use area, as a bad block; and when a) the first defective area table exists for the main control part, and when b) a second common use area has already been searched for whether or not a bad block exists, and when c) bad block data corresponding to the second common area is identified in the first defective area table, and when d) the second common use area exists as a use area common to both the second use area used by the sub control part and the first use area used by the main control part, via the second defective area table making part, reading the bad block data corresponding to the second common use area identified in the first defective area table and adding the read bad block data of the second common use area to the second defective area table used the sub control part.
4. The image forming method according to claim 3 , wherein the control program includes a boot loader and an Operating System (OS).
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
January 22, 2015
December 26, 2017
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